大暮維人

⭐ Manga | Supernatural | Action Fantasy

Thank you to Kodansha Comics for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Kaijin Fugeki: Kindled Spirits, Vol. 1 follows Gao and Jin during a heated summer after a supernatural event in the mountains permanently alters their town. From the start, there’s an ominous atmosphere that hints at something far larger at play than everyday life. The story weaves together multiple elements, including military involvement, flashbacks, and battles involving show more gods.

While the artwork is visually appealing, the narrative itself feels uneven. New ideas and plot threads are introduced, dropped, and sometimes revisited later without much clarity, which can make the story feel disjointed at times. It comes across as a volume still finding its footing, and I’m hoping later installments will smooth out these inconsistencies.

That said, there are aspects I enjoyed, especially the characters’ emotional connection to an old sakura tree, which adds a sense of symbolism amid the chaos. Those quieter, reflective moments help balance the larger supernatural conflicts.

Overall, Kaijin Fugeki: Kindled Spirits Vol. 1 has strong visuals, even if the plot feels scattered in this first volume. Readers who enjoy supernatural manga with gods, military, may still find this a promising start, especially if future volumes build more cohesion. show less

I recieved a digital copy of this ARC thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics. All opinions below are honest and entirely my own.

This story feels like it's got an interesting premise. However I was really confused about the plot of this story for the majority of it. I am still not entirely sure of the premise of what these kids are fighting or why or how.

The art is good though.

This is the last volume of this series to be printed by CMX before DC shuttered the label back in 2010. Obviously, since this is not the end of the series, this book ends with a big cliffhanger.

However, Viz has picked up the series, and is currently releasing volumes marked as Tenjo Tenge (Full Contact Edition). Anyone new to the series should definately be looking at those books, rather than the CMX imprint ones. Not only is that series still ongoing (Volume 8 is set to drop on August 21, show more 2012), but they are also uncensored. This leaves the books with a mature rating, but maintains the integrity of Oh! Great's storylines and art. The CMX version recieved a lot of criticism for censoring it's printing of the series to make the series available under a teen rating.

So, I guess what I'm saying is: If you are already collecting the CMX versions, and are interested in completing the collection... go ahead and buy this. But if you are new to the series, pick up the Viz version. show less

I am not a fan of graphic novels or manga, but this is one of my favorites. Lots of action, never a dull moment. I can't wait to read the rest of the series.